Device to discard short bars

Abstract: Device to discard short bars (11a) which is associated with feeder means (12) that comprise a plurality of first conveyor chains (14a) and a matching plurality of second conveyor chains (14b), on which the bars (11) are positioned perpendicular to the conveyor chains (14) and are fed in a direction at a right angle to the lengthwise extent of the bars (11), the downstream ends of the first conveyor chains (14a) and upstream ends of the second conveyor chains (14b) being progressively staggered so as to define a separation channel (13) positioned at an angle to the axis of feed of the bars (11), an angle of between 10° and 45° being defined between the separation channel (13) and the axis of the bars (11), the separation channel (13) cooperating with bridge means (15).

Description: This invention concerns a device to discard short bars, as set forth in the main claim. The device to discard short bars according to the invention comprises conveyor chain means which feed bars, so as to discard bars of a length shorter than a pre-set length. The state of the art covers the problem of having to discard, from a plurality of bars being fed side by side in a direction at a right angle to the lengthwise extent of the bars on a plurality of conveyor chain means, the bars which are too short to meet the requirements of a pre-determined length. In fact, the bars which are not of the right length have to be discarded so as to be able to ensure the formation of bundles of bars consisting only of bars having a given minimum length according to the requirements laid down. The bars which are too short are discarded at the present time by making the plurality of bars travel side by side on a plurality of substantially horizontal conveyor chains which include at a certain point a separation channel having its axis parallel to the axis of the bars being fed and therefore substantially perpendicular to the direction of feed of the bars. Bridge-type supporting means are included at the separation channel, are fitted suitably spaced apart crosswise and extend by a length enough to straddle the separation channel fully. The transverse distance between the supporting means is such that the bars longer than the required minimum length rest at their ends on the supporting means, with which are associated chains that carry out the feed of the bars. The bars which do not reach the pre-set minimum length fall when they arrive at the separation channel, since they are no longer upheld by the conveyor chains or by the lateral supporting means. But this system entails the problem that the bars which have a suitable length but too small a cross-section and which are supported only at their ends by the supporting means bend at their centre and create problems at the time when they should cooperate with the feeder means positioned downstream of the separation channel. GB-A-1,173,641 shows a device suitable to select bars according to their length, wherein bars which do not satisfy a required minimum length are discarded. The device comprises means to feed the bars consisting of a plurality of first conveyor chains and a matching plurality of second conveyor chains, on which the bars are laid in a direction at a right angle to their direction of feed. Between the beginning of the second conveyor chains and the end of the first conveyor chains there is a separation channel, cooperating with bridge means, with a direction parallel to the axis of the bars lying on the bar-feeding means. The device also comprises a worm element, cooperating with the first conveyor chains, suitable to interact with one end of the bars, accelerating it and therefore separating the bars from each other, partly lifting the bars and arranging them diagonally. Moreover, the device comprises a plurality of transfer elements, consisting of articulated arms and movable arms, arranged between the first and second chains and suitable to transfer the bars across the separation channel. The shorter bars which do not come into cooperation with the acceleration element and the transfer elements fall into the separation channel into a collection device underneath. The device is extremely complex, it requires a plurality of movements and actions, it causes deflections and possible deformations of the bars, it is difficult to adjust with regard to modifying the required minimum length of the bars, it occupies an enormous amount of space, it entails problems of maintenance and also other problems. The present applicants have designed, tested and embodied this invention so as to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to achieve further advantages. This invention is set forth and characterised in the main claim, while the dependent claims describe variants of the idea of the main embodiment. The device to discard short bars according to the invention enables all bars having a length shorter than a pre-set value to be discarded. The bars are fed side by side in a direction at the right angle to their lengthwise extent on a plurality of suitably spaced parallel chains. The device to discard short bars according to the invention consists in the creation of a separation channel of a suitable width to interrupt the chains; the separation channel is arranged diagonally to the direction of feed of the bars. A bridge-type means cooperates with the interruption channel and can be positioned advantageously in such a way as to define the length of the bars which is to be accepted. In this way the end of bars shorter than the desired length bends when it is no longer upheld by a chain, and descends below the plane of feed little by little as the bars advance, and finally drops into discharge means positioned below. Instead, the bars of a length equal to or greater than the length required always stay upheld along almost all their length except for a segment of a short length which remains suspended above the separation channel. According to a first embodiment supporting arms cooperate with the separation channel and are located substantially below the plane of feed of the bars in cooperation with the separation channel. These supporting arms have a working position, in which they support the bars which are too short, and a discharge position, in which they release the too short bars which are thus discharged onto removal means consisting, for instance, of an underlying removal roller conveyor. The actuation of the supporting arms can be timed or be operated by hand by the machine operator. According to a variant a conveyor belt is included below the separation channel; the short discarded bars fall directly onto this belt and are then discharged onto a removal roller conveyor. The attached figures are given as a non-restrictive example and show some preferred embodiments of the invention as follows:- Fig.1 is a plan diagram of a device to discard short bars according to the invention; Fig.2 is a side view in an enlarged scale of the short bar discarding device according to the invention of Fig.1; Fig.3 shows a variant of the device to discard short bars according to the invention as shown in Fig.2. The reference number 10 in the attached figures denotes generally a device to discard short bars 11 according to the invention. The device 10 according to the invention comprises a system 12 that feeds single bars 11 lying substantially parallel to each other; these bars 11 are fed in a direction at a right angle to their lengthwise extent. In this case the feeder system 12 consists of a plurality of first conveyor chains 14a positioned parallel and side by side and followed by a coordinated plurality of second conveyor chains 14b which too are parallel to each other. These pluralities of first 14a and second 14b conveyor chains are arranged so as to define between them a separation channel 13 positioned diagonally and obtained by staggering in a regular and progressive manner the downstream ends of the first conveyor chains 14a and in an analogous manner the upstream ends of the second conveyor chains 14b. The separation channel 13 may be positioned at an angle of 10° to 45 to the axis of the bars 11. Bridge means 15 which straddle the whole width of the separation channel 13 are positioned at the two ends of that separation channel 13. These bridge means 15 can be positioned advantageously at such a distance apart in a crosswise direction as to define the length of the bars 11 to be accepted. In this case the bridge means 15 consist of chains 16, which are fed at the same speed as the conveyor chains 14 so as to feed bars 11 of a suitable length continuously from the first conveyor chains 14a and to discharge the bars 11 onto the second conveyor chains 14b. The too short bars 11a arriving at the separation channel 13, from the moment when their end is no longer upheld by the first conveyor chains 14a or by the bridge means 15, descend progressively below the feed plane defined by the conveyor chains 14. According to a first embodiment of the invention (Fig.2) the device 10 according to the invention includes a plurality of supporting arms 17 positioned at, and extending over the whole width of, the separation channel 13. These supporting arms 17 have a first working position 17a shown with continuous lines, in which they support short bars 11a falling into the separation channel 13, and a second discharge position 17b shown with lines of dashes, in which they discharge the short bars 11a onto an underlying removal roller conveyor 18. Actuation of the supporting arms 17 may be timed or be operated by hand by the machine operator. According to a second form of embodiment an auxiliary conveyor belt 19, onto which the short bars 11a fall directly and are then discharged continuously onto the removal roller conveyor 18, is included at the separation channel 13 and below the plane of feed of the bars 11.

Claims: Device to discard short bars, having feeder means (12) comprising a plurality of first conveyor chains (14a) and a matching plurality of second conveyor chains (14b), between the downstream ends of the first conveyor chains (14a) and the upstream ends of the second conveyor chains (14b) there being a separation channel (13) crossed by bridge means (15), the bars being positionable adjacent and substantially parallel to one another on said feeder means (12) in a direction at right angles to the longitudinal axis of feed of the feeder means (12), the device being characterised in that said downstream ends of the first conveyor chains (14a) and said upstream ends of the second conveyor chains (14b) are progressively staggered so as to define said separation channel (13) which channel is positioned at an angle with respect to the orthogonal from the longitudinal axis of feed of the feeder means (12), the angle being of between 10° and 45°. Device as in Claim 1, in which the bridge means (15) can be moved transversely to define the length of the bars (11). Device as in Claim 1 or 2, in which supporting arms (17) cooperate with the separation channel (13) and have a first working position (17a), in which they support the too short bars (11a), and a second discharge position (17b) for the discharge of the too short bars (11a) onto a removal roller conveyor (18). Device as in Claim 1 or 2, in which an auxiliary conveyor belt (19) for discharge of too short bars (11a) onto a removal roller conveyor (18) cooperates with the separation channel (13).

Inventors: BORDIGNON GIUSEPPE, PAOLONE ROLANDO, TOMAT FERRUCCIO, BORDIGNON, GIUSEPPE, PAOLONE, ROLANDO, TOMAT, FERRUCCIO
Applicants: DANIELI OFF MECC, DANIELI & C. OFFICINE MECCANICHE S.P.A.
Application year: 1994
Main classification: B07B13
IPC codes: B07B13